Butterfly House in Niagara Botanic Garden

konkreteblonde in http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/469907/ keeps referring to butterflies that I saw (or thought I saw) in the Butterfly House in the Botanic Gardens near Niagara Falls, when we were there in July 1998, so I have looked out the pictures I too back then. She was asking about the Paper Kite Idea leuconoe and when I looked it up, I saw that I had tentatively identified a butterfly at Niagara as this species. When I looked up the Paper Kite on the web, I found that my ID was wrong, so I went searching for the real ID. Here is the butterfly I misidentified as the Paper Kite, which is actually the Malachite butterfly Siproeta stelenes. This butterfly is found in Florida and southern Texas.

Then konkreteblonde mentioned that she loved the Blue Morpho's. Well it just happens that I photographed a Blue Morpho in the same butterfly house, the same day. It didn't oblige by perching with its beautiful rich blue wings spread, but because of a torn tip to its wing tip some of the bright blue is visible. Here is the Blue Morpho Morpho peleides, which is a butterfly from South America.

Another butterfly in the same place was this swallowtail, Papilio hipponous, which comes from SE Asia

and finally another butterfly from Florida and southern Texas, the Julia Butterfly Dryas iulia. This one is I believe a female. First with its wings spread

and then with its wings closed (yes it was upside down)

Thanks so much! I'm so glad I inspired you to post these pics. I believe I have seen all of these at the exhibit in Dallas at the Texas Discovery Gardens. But my pics were taken with my 35mm (no digital then) and my scanner is defunct now. If my dad's is working I'll try to scan some of mine. The Blue Morpho's were no doubt everyone's favorite. They rarely sat with their wings open tho. I'm going to have to look up this Julia Longwing. I've seen a solid bright orange one, but not one with any black. Is that color actually on the topside of it's wings?

According to sites I looked at, the female Julia has those black marks on the topside of the wings where the male is clear orange. My shots were taken on slides with an old 35mm camera and scanned.

kennedyh, all four of those are stunningly beautiful butteflies. Thank you SO much for posting these pics. What a nice way to startmy day :-)

-Julie

Ooh, Ken' -- love the Malachite butterfly -- have never seen in person... inspired to create a sweater (knit that is) that would *suggest* this one's pattern...

Hey, if you haven't already left, Have a wonderful (and safe) trip!
~'spin!~